Combination lock



March 16, 1954 w. D. GEORGE 2,672,04

' COMBINATION LOCK Filed Jan. 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l nmrmnum -1.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY March 16, 1954 w GEORGE 2,672,042

COMBINATION LOCK Filed Jan. 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 l 45 W? I INVENTOR.

Willis D. George A T TORNEY Patented Mar. 16, 1954 GOM'BINATION LOCK Willis D. George,,Woodside, N. Y., assignor to The Yale. & Towne -Manufacturing Company, Stamford, Conn a corporation of Connecticut Application January 24, 1950, Serial No. 140,268

12 .Glaima.

-. 1. This? invention. relates to combinationiocks; and:.-more:particularly to/ means for preventing the-detection. of. thacombinationaof a lock cf this'.

classby-experimental:manipulation'. of. the: tumbl'er-setting'mechanism.

Itinis the particular object of this. invention to contribute a combination lock in which the known-method of tapping the fenceuagainst the tumblers to determine their gatingpattern cannot be successfully employed,

Inzlockszofthis class,,even though. the periphery of; :onjeaor- ;more tumblers: prevents actual.- entry of the fence into anyggat'ing, until all gatings are aligned, it has beenifound; possibleto detect the presence 01 agating adjacent. to the fence; that is; toadetect. when :a tumbler is set-,.merely by t pping; the: fence against the tumbler: assembly. This is accomplished byrapidly. changing the directiorL-cf the tumbler -setting. means, or. dial, withina very small angle.- The fence, being-re sponsive; to: movement of the tumbler-setting means, it ispossible-to feel a reaction, different thannor-mal, whenthe fence is rapidly tapped against. the: tumbler assembly inthepresence of the gating .Qfaset. tumbler.

'Lheordinary sequence in. which combination lock tumblers are: set being known to those familiar withthese locks, it is of. courseanecessary; only to detect, in proper. order, the angular; position. of. the gatings of the several tumblers,

with reference to'the-dial reading, to elicit the combination of a particular lock.

gating. pattern. is unworkable.

The basic conceptof my invention isthe pro vision of means,,.within a combination lock, for

preventing. effective. response of the fence to rapid. oscillation of the dial.

Tliusl provide ajlost motion connection between the. tumbler-setting. means, .or dial,. and.

the fence: itself, so that .the fence. is: not responsivetb.achangeof direction.of such means until amovement thereoffina singledirection through avery considerableiangular distance has been accomplished before reversal.

50,. by the introduction. of' means requiring.

relatively. great. alternate rotations of the dial to efl'ect oscillation of the fence, I may render it impossible for. the hand of a manipulator to accomplish withsuflicient speedand accuracy a response .in the. fence useful in thiscommonmethod of ascertaining, theztumbler" 'patternof. the i lock.

frhe-+eist..-ora;my: invention resides in the-.introi 2.. duction of. alost motionconnectionbetween the dialandthe fence, .butit will bounderstoodirom the following description that this. may be ac.- complishedin several. ways within the scope of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention I utilize a couple between the dial and the driver of the tumbler assembly to introduce a considerable lagin the response of said driver. upon re:- versal of the dial; and provide means for frictionally urging the fence toward and away from the tumbler assembly; said means being actuated byv theidriver.

However, a modification herein described shows that equivalent results may 'be accompiishe'dby rigidly couplingthe dialto-the driver in the usual manner, and byiintroducinga connection with considerable lost motion within frictional" means actuated bythe driver" for urging the fence towardand'awayfrom the tumbler assembly;

In my'lock' I'employ a usual gated" tumbler assembly having a driver sequentially rotating the driver and fence, and further provide; at any convenient stage in: the train of cooperating parts from the dial through the fence, a suitable'lost motion'connection for preventing. transmissionof vibrationfrom the'dial to the fence.

I have thus outlined rather-broadly the more important. features of my invention in order that the. detailed description hereof which fol-.- lows may be better understood, and'in order that my contribution to: the art may be better ap preciated.

There are, of course-additional: features of my invention that will be described hereinafter and which will formthe subject of the claims Those skilled. in the" art willappended hereto. appreciate that the conception on which my disclosureis based may readily beutilized-as a basis for the designing of other structures for carrying. out the several purposes of my invention. Itis" important, therefore, that the claimsbe regarded asincluding such equivalent constructions as do not depart from. the-spirit and scope of my invention, in: order to prevent. the appropriation of my invention by those sk-illed" in the art;

However, in my look I' provide- Referring now to the drawing, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention. Fig. 1 is a section through a door showing this embodiment of my combination lock applied thereto, the lock itself being shown in section taken on the lines of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is the section taken on the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is the section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the driver tumbler structure.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modification of the invention. Fig. 5 corresponds generally to Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is the section taken on the lines 66 of Fig. 5.

The preferred embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 through 4 will be described first.

In the drawing, the reference numeral II] indicates the usual type of combination setting dial used in combination locks of the present class, the dial being positioned on one side of a door I I. The combination lock itself is enclosed within a suitable casing I2 from which extends a tube I3. The dial It is fr-ed to a usual spindle I4, the spindle extending through the tube I3 and a driver I5 and a concentric boss I6 mounted on the rear face of said driver. See Fig. 1. The structure of the driver is best seen in the perspective view of Fig. 4, wherein the boss IE is shown to be of stepped heights, the lower surface thereof being designated I! and the higher surface IB, and the steps being indexed I9 and 29. The inner end of the s indle I4, on which the driver I5 is normally free, is provided with a key 2|. In Fig. 4, to clarify the structure, the spindle I4 is shown thrust abnormally rearwardly with respect to the driver I5 so that the configuration of the boss I5 is not obscured. However, it will be understood that in assembly the key 2| abuts the lower surface I? of the boss, as shown in Fig. 2, and that the driver I5 and the spindle I4 are consequently free to rotate relatively to each other through the angular distance of surface I! between steps I 9 and 2B.

The driver I5 is adapted, throu h the usual means well known in the art, to rotate a tumbler 22, that in turn rotates a tumbler 23, that in turn sets a tumbler 24. In other words, the rotation of the dial ID will, through the spindle I4, set the several tumblers I5, 22, 23, and 24 so as to align their respective gat'ngs relatively to the boltretracting fence of the lock. The assembled tumblers are best shown in Fig. 1.

In the usual manner each tumbler is provided with a gating. The gating of the driver is designated 25. Those of tumbl rs 22, 23, and 24 are respectively designated 26, 21, and 28.

Insofar as I have described my invention it is of the usual and standard construction well known in the art, but with the important exception that spindle I4 and the driver tumbler I5 are capable of relativ rotary movement within a limiting angle determined by the steps I9 and 20 at either end of the su face H of boss IS on which key 2| may ride. When the key 2| strikes either step I9 or step 2, continued rotation of the dial [0 positively rotates the driver l5.

Mounted for sliding movement within the easing I2 is a bolt 29 ha ing a loc ing nose 3"! and two tail pieces 3| and 3'4. The tail pieces 3| and 32 are adapted to slide in contact with guide surfaces provided at 33 and 34 within the casing I2. The locking nose SE? is adapted to be thrown and retracted through an aperture 35 in one wall of casing I2, shoulders 35 limiting the throw of said locking nose. Tail piece 3| of the bolt is provided with a rabbeted slot at 31 within which an arm of the fence is loosely received. See below; compare Figs. 2 and 3.

For retracting the bolt 29, I utilize a fence 38 having the form of a bellcrank pivotally mounted on a post 39 driven into the casing I2 at 40. An arm 4| of the fence is received slidably and with considerable tolerance within the slot 31 of tail piece 3| of the bolt. It will be obvious from Fig. 2 particularly that counterclockwise movement of the fence operates to retract the locking nose 30. Another arm 42 of the fence is provided at its outer end with a gating-entering portion in the form of a fence bar 43. The bar 43 is of such length that it extends from the front to the rear of the pile of tumblers. See Fig. 3, particularly, which shows the edges of the tumblers with the fence bar extending across all of them. Thus, the bar 43 necessarily must enter all gatings simultaneously. In other words, the bar cannot enter any gating until all gatings are aligned, for the periphery of any unregistered tumbler will prevent entry of the bar and consequent operation of the fence. The peripheries of the several tumblers are of common radius (Figs. 1 and 3).

Secured to the front face of the driver tumbler I5 is a spur gear 44 which meshes with another spur gear 45 pivotally mounted on post 39 in front of the fence 38. The only restraint against relative rotary movement of the gear 45 with respect to the fence 38 is friction.

As the dial I0 is rotated with the key 2| in driving contact with step I9 or step 20 of the boss I6, the driver I5 is, of course, positively driven by the dial, and gear 45 is driven by gear 44. Thus, according to the direction of effective driving rotary movement ofthe dial I0, the fence 38, in frictional contact with gear 45, is'subjected to a drag tending to swing it toward or away from the tumblers. This drag, however, is positively restricted in one direction by the slot 31 of th bolt, and in the opposite direction by the periphery of one or more tumblers unless, of course, all tumbler gatings are in aligmnent and registered with the fence bar 43. Under this last condition the fence bar enters the aligned atings and further rotation of the tumblers effects retraction of the bolt by positive counterclockwise drive of the arm 42 of the fence.

It is, of course, possible to cause the fence bar to strike the tumblers repeatedly by a series of relatively violent reversals of the dial, but it will be noticed in Fi-s. 2 and 4 that the lag represented by the angular spacing of steps I9 and 2B of the boss I6 is very considerable and may even be greater than shown, and must be overcome before the fence is responsive to the vdial. A rapid series of reversals of the dial through an are sufficiently great to rotate positively the driver I5 each time is not only extremely diflicult for the hand of a manipulator, but is practically impossible to do without overthrowing and thereby causing the fence bar to strike the tumblers at a different radial position every other reversal. Therefore, in the present structure, any effective vibration of the fence bar against the tumblers at a given setting is out of the questicn.

A modification of my invention is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Fig. 5 corresponds to Fig. 2 of the embodiment described above. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the modification.

Herein the driver I 5 is keyed at 46 to the spinsprains:

dle l 4 so that" the connection between the? dial fliand' the'driver isrigidi In this structurethe pying-ibut a' few==degrees of the periphery of the disk; Mounted on gear 45 is apin- 49 adapted to str-ike the tooth 48 in I one of" tworelative "positions-bf' the disk and" gear, such positions" be-- ing, in one direction, nearly a full turn-of the.-

gearlsee-Fig; 5); Thus, on contact of. the pin and tooth, if rotation of the dial, driver and they two gears is continued; the disk is positively driven in step with gear 45.

Here; asdistingu'ished from the first embodiment, the dial, spindle, driver, and the two gears rotateinvariably "together. However, "it is clearly seen in Fig..'5 that theintroducti'on of the disk 41 with its tooth 48 between the fence 3.8. and.

gear liwithits pin 49, that a lost motion con-.-

. .nection is provided between the. tumbler-setting means and the fence, whereby rapid oscillation of the said means within a small angle cannot accomplish a responsive oscillation of the fence for the purpose of tapping the tumbler assembly.

I now claim:

1. A look of the class described comprising a series of tumblers having gatings, a fence adapted to, enter said gatings when the same are aligned, actuating means whereby said fence is moved toward and away from said gatings, a dial for setting said tumblers, and further means whereby said dial actuates said actuating means for moving said fence toward and away from said gatings, said further means comprising a lost motion connection whereby said dial moves freely of said actuating means during part of its rotation.

2. A look of the class described comprising a series of tumblers having gatings, a fence adapted to enter said gatings when the same are aligned, actuating means whereby said fence is moved toward and away from said gatings, a dial for setting said tumblers, and further means whereby said dial actuates said actuating means for moving said fence toward said gatings, said further means comprising a lost motion connection whereby said dial moves freely of said actuating means during part of its rotation.

3. A look of the class described comprising a series of tumblers having gatings, a fence adapted to enter said gatings when the same are aligned, a bolt retracted by said fence when the same enters said gatings, actuating means whereby said fence is moved toward and away from said gatings, a dial for setting said tumblers, and further means whereby said dial actuates said ac tuating means for moving said fence toward and away from said gatings, said further means com-'- prising a lost motion connection whereby said dial moves freely of said actuating means during part of its rotation.

4. A look of the class described comprising a series of tumblers having gatings, a fence adapted to enter said gatings when the same are aligned, a bolt retracted by said fence when the same enters said gatings, actuating means whereby said fence is moved toward and away from said gat ings, a dial for setting said tumblers, and further means whereby said dial actuates said acadapted to enter' said gatings when the samei are aligned, means actuated by saiddriver urgtuatihgmeansfbr moving said fence toward-said? gatings, said" further-means comprising a lost motion connection whereby'saiddial moves-freely of said actuating means during part of its ro=- tation.

5 A look of the class described comprising a driver and'tumblers mounted for rotation, said driver-andsaidtumblers having gatings, a'fence ing' said fence toward' said tumblers during m tation thereof in one direction and away from-- said'tumblers during rotation thereof in the-"re verse direction, a rotating dial, and a lost mo--' tion connection between said dial and said driver:

constructed for introducing a lag between 're"- versal of'saiddial and reversal of'said' driven '6. A lock-of the class described comprising a driver and tumblers" mounted for rotation; said driver and said tumblershav-ing"gatings; afence adapted' to enter "said gatings' when the same. are aligned, a bolt retractedbysaid fence, .meanst actuatedby said driver'urging said fence toward said tumblers during rotation thereof in one'di-,

rection and away from said tumblers during rotation thereof in the reverse direction, a rotat in'g' dial, and a lost motion connection. between; said dial and said driver constructed for intro ducing a lagbetween reversal of said dial and reversal of said driver.

7. A lock of the class described comprising a series of tumblers mounted for rotation on a common axis, said tumblers having gatings, and one of said tumblers being a driver rotating the other tumblers sequentially, a pivotally mounted fence adapted to enter said gatings when the same are aligned and to be rotated thereby, a gear mounted on said driver, a further gear in frictional engagement with said fence whereby rotation of said further gear produces a drag on said fence, said further gear being in mesh with said firstnamed gear, a dial for setting said tumblers, and a lost motion connection between said dial and said driver.

8. A look of the class described comprising a series of tumblers mounted for rotation on a common axis, said tumblers having gatings, and one of said tumblers being a driver rotating the other tumblers sequentially, a pivotally mounted fence adapted to enter said gatings when the same are aligned and .to be rotated thereby, a bolt adapted to be retracted by said fence when the same enters said gatings and is rotated thereby, a gear mounted on said driver, a further gear in frictional engagement with said fence whereby rotation of said further gear produces a drag on said fence, said further gear being in mesh with said first-named gear, a dial for setting said tumblers, and a lost motion connection between said dial and said driver.

9. A look of the class described comprising a series of tumblers mounted for rotation on a common axis, said tumblers having gatings, and one of said tumblers being a driver rotating the other tumblers sequentially, a pivotally mounted fence adapted to enter said gatings when the same are aligned and to be rotated thereby, a gear mounted on said driver, a disk in frictional engagement with said fence whereby rotation of said disk produces a drag on said fence, a further gear coaxially mounted with said disk but free for rotary motion relative thereto, a post on said further gear and a peripheral tooth on said disk adapted to be engaged by said post, said further 7 gear being enmeshed with said first named gear, and a dial for setting said tumblers.

- 10. A look of the class described comprising a series of tumblers mounted for rotation on a common axis, said tumblers having gatings, and one of said tumblers being a driver rotating the other tumblers sequentially, a pivotally mounted fence adapted to enter said gatings when the same are aligned and to be rotated thereby, a bolt adapted to be retracted by" said fence when the same enters said gatings and is rotated thereby, a gear mounted on said driver, a disk in frictional engagement with said fence whereby rotation of said disk produces a drag on said fence, 2. further gear coaxially mounted with said disk but free for rotary motion relative thereto, a post on said further gear and a peripheral tooth on said disk adapted to be engaged by said post, said further gear being in mesh with said first-named gear, and a dial for setting said tumblers.

11. In a lock of the class described having gated tumblers and a fence adapted'to enter the gatings of said tumblers when .said gatings are aligned, a friction drive, means whereby one of said tumblers acts through said friction drive to urge said fence toward said tumblers during rotation of said one tumbler in one direction and away from said tumblers during rotation of said one tumbler in the opposed direction, and said means including between said one tumbler and said fence a loose connection allowing free movement of said one tumbler relatively to said fence in at least one direction.

12. In a lock of the class described having a dial, gating tumblers rotated by said dial, and a fence adapted to enter the gatings of said tumblers when said gatings are aligned, a friction drive, means whereby said dial acts through said friction drive to urge said fence toward said tumblers during rotation of said dial in one direction and away from said tumblers during rotation of said dial in the opposed direction, and said means including between said dial and said friction drive a loose connection allowing substantial free movement of said dial relatively to said fence in at least one direction.

WILLIS D. GEORGE;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,092,843 Lewis Apr. 14, 1914 1,484,692 Weber Feb. 26, 1924 

